Letters To Me
by MightyTemperance
Summary: Booth and Brennan take a suggestion from Sweets just a little too seriously. Multiple points of view. Quick author's note added to the end- feedback wanted!
1. His & Hers

It was Sweets' suggestion, originally. Perhaps he had taken it too far, completely bypassed the point of the exercise. But it was a habit, one he was sure would be difficult to break, not that he had tried. He still had them all, too: eleven napkins, six random scraps of paper, four one dollar bills, two envelopes, a photograph, seven scraps of newspaper, six post-it notes, and three receipts.

He didn't know what to do with them. He'd read them all, it seemed, hundreds of times. He wondered if she had hers. If she'd even done it in the first place. He wouldn't have put it past her to forget about it, or to dismiss it as silly. He was almost certain she didn't know how seriously he took it. He hoped not, anyways.

----

She kept them in a recipe box behind her spices, third cabinet to the right of the refrigerator. Of all the places to put them, she had decided this was the least likely place Booth was to accidentally stumble across them. Not because he didn't spend a lot of time in her kitchen, but because they usually ordered takeout anyway. It had seemed silly and pointless to her at first, but Angela had encouraged her to do it and it had turned into second nature. Sweets was a typical psychologist, full of supposedly meaningful exercises that he pushed on the pair of them constantly, but this one had stuck. At Angela's urging- "Come on, sweetie, what's the harm? And besides, what if you find out one day he took it seriously and you didn't?"- she had reluctantly done it, and now she was glad.

She wondered idly if she'd ever show him. She knew for a fact that he didn't do it- he made his disdain for Sweets' "little games" quite clear, very loudly and very often. A tiny part of her was bothered by that, because they would have made for interesting reading. She'd have to settle for shuffling through her own, sometimes chuckling at them, and sometimes marvelling at the depth of emotion they contained.

----

**Intrigued? I hope so. (: I suppose this is the beginning of my first multi-chapter fiction. Also my first muti-POV. How exciting! I shall post the next chapter first thing tomorrow morning. Any guesses as to what they're talking about?**


	2. Tensions

**Sincere apologies for not posting this more promptly. The website wouldn't let me upload it yesterday, for some reason! I am overjoyed by the response this story has gotten and the number of alerts on it! That makes me very happy. :) Thanks to everyone for reviewing, it means so much to me. I love hearing your thoughts.**

**So, without further ado, here it is. More notes at the bottom!**

_---------_

_Four Months Earlier_

They had been bickering so much that it was starting to bother people around them. It had already been a tense, difficult week, and at the moment they were stuck in the middle of a case relating to the sexual abuse and deaths of at least three children. That was why Booth was acting so distant, she was sure, but it didn't justify the way he was snapping at Brennan every time she spoke. After the fourth time he gave her a snide retort, she turned on him, eyes blazing, and Angela could hardly blame her.

"Booth, I didn't kill these children," she gestured at the tables holding their tiny remains. "Nor am I the reason we aren't making headway on this case. So stop taking your anger out on me like a temperamental, irrational _child_." she spat out the last word.

Angela had been showing Hodgins and Cam her drawing of the third victim when this happened, and now they were all staring at the pair silently. Angela knew what would happen next- Booth's blazingly dark eyes would soften, his rigid posture would relax, and he'd apologize and perhaps give her a hug. That was the Booth they had all come to know and love.

Instead, however, he yelled, "You know what, Bones? I think it _is_ your fault. I think there's more information in this evidence, and you and your squint squad here-" he waved a hand toward the three of them, who hastily pretended they weren't watching the exchange "-aren't looking hard enough to find it!" he was towering over her, an intimidating tactic Angela was sure he used on particularly frustrating suspects.

Brennan took a step back, glaring at him. He returned the cold look without saying a word. Then, in an instant, Booth turned on his heel and stalked away, off of the platform and through the double doors.

Angela watched as Brennan walked off in the other direction, heels clacking on the floor as she made her way to her office. She, Cam, and Hodgins just looked at each other for a moment, eyes wide. Angela turned and quickly followed Brennan to her office.

"Sweetie?" she said as she knocked on the open door. "Can I come in?"

Brennan didn't answer, just kept shuffling papers on her desk. Angela could see her eyes shining as she walked over to stand in front of her. "Would you like to talk about what just happened?" she asked gently.

"Not particularly." Brennan said fiercely.

"Whoa, sweetie, don't take this out on me." she said, her hands in the air. "What is going on? You and Booth have been fighting for days. And not even the cute, we're-going-to-get-married-someday, repressed sexual tension fighting." she half joked.

Angela was rewarded with a scathing look from her best friend. "I'm not sure I know what that means." Brennan said.

"Of course you don't, honey. Look, why is Booth so mad? I've never seen him yell at you like that. In fact, he even picked on me, and Hodgins and Cam." she leaned toward Brennan. "Spill."

She sighed heavily and sat down. "I may have implied he was stupid, earlier today."

"What?!" Angela was confused. "You may have _implied_-"

"Admittedly, it may have been a bit more than an implication." Brennan leaned back and considered something. "Or perhaps it was a… lot more than an implication."

Angela just gaped at her.

"What? He keeps hitting the same dead ends in this case, but he refuses to try a different approach!" she stood back up. "He's so _stubborn_, and he just will not step back and look at the case from another angle. He insists on blaming our stall in the case on lack of specific evidence, and not on the fact that he won't interrogate Darius Randall! He insists that Connor DeVries is guilty, although there is no evidence to support that conclusion." she took a breath, giving Angela a moment to say something. When she offered nothing, Brennan continued. "He maintains this irrational faith in his instinct. 'Bones, you don't understand, this is my gut. My gut doesn't lie.'" She did a passable albeit humorous impression of Booth.

"Honey, this is Booth. How often is he wrong?" Angela asked.

"That isn't the point! He's wrong sometimes, and this is one of those times!" Brennan said angrily.

"Does it matter? I know this case stresses you out, and it hits him right where it hurts, and you're both frustrated that you haven't solved it and caught the stupid bastard yet. But you will, you always do, and when you're done, you'll want to go out and celebrate with your very hot, very available FBI agent. Right?"

"Perhaps." she agreed grudgingly.

"Good, so go kiss and make up, and quit calling him stupid. It's that easy!" Angela said happily.

"Thanks, Ang. I know I can always count on you for completely unbiased advice."

"Wow, was that sarcasm from our own Dr. Temperance Brennan? Impressive!" Angela smiled as she walked out of the office, not offended in the slightest.

------

She sighed as she watched Angela walk out of the office. She sat back down, slowly, and put her head in her hands. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as Angela made it sound. She had really hurt Booth, and he had in turn hurt her back.

They'd been getting on each other's last nerve for a few weeks now. It wasn't just the case, it was something else. She didn't know what- Booth was the feelings guy, after all- but it hadn't gone away like she had expected. Instead, things had been distant and strained between them, both waiting for the other to apologize.

----

Booth blew quickly past the people scurrying around on the way to his office, slamming the door behind him and throwing himself into his chair. He was so angry with her. It bothered him that he could speak that way to her- and her team- and feel no guilt. Not yet, anyways. He was sure that in awhile- a few hours, or perhaps even minutes- he would have to call her and apologize. No, that wouldn't suffice, he'd have to go back over there.

But how could he? He knew that although he was overwhelmingly angry right now, that was just masking a fresher, deeper hurt. Bones was a genius, he had accepted that fact long, long ago. He knew he wasn't even half as intelligent as her, but hearing her say it so harshly had gone straight to his core. She had sounded so blazingly spiteful, and as per usual, she was right. She was always _right_, for God's sake. It defined her. She was Dr. Temperance Brennan, and she was right.

But heart, intuition, gut, that was his arena, his playing field. The sole fact that she was edging into his territory bothered him, and then to call him out and tell him that he was wrong? Why couldn't she stay in the lab, doing her squint-y things, and let the dirty work be done by him? _Because she's Bones,_ he reminded himself. And even if she belongs in the lab, she could still be right.

They spent so much time together than sometimes he believed his conscience had taken on her voice. When he was deeply muddled by his own judgments, his own errors, her voice inside him gently (and sometimes not so gently) reminded him of the other side of things.

But he was so sure he was right about this! His gut told him DeVries was one bad dude, no matter what the evidence said. He had such a strong feeling about this guy, and he couldn't shake it for the life of him. That didn't give Bones the right to belittle him like she did.

But he had turned around and done the same thing. She hurt him, so he hit her back, hard, ratcheting up the tension as he blamed her for his ineptitudes. He knew it was his fault this guy was out there, and he couldn't stomach it.

He waited a respectful hour, then picked up his phone and called her.

----

Her phone buzzed, and she immediately knew it was him. She didn't even have to look at it- it was like even her cell phone sounded more irritating when he was the person on the other end. She ignored it.

----

Fine, so she was ignoring him. Two could play at that game. He wasn't going to be the one to come crawling back to her, because it wasn't always his fault. The squint squad would call if they had any leads, after all.

---------------

**OK, I know... I didn't really give you the answers you were looking for quite yet. Soon, I promise. :) I may post the next installment this evening...  
-Hanna**


	3. Sneezing & Style

**Short, but sweet.**

_----_

_"Somehow, Bones makes sneezing cute."_ he had written on a napkin. They had been out in the field a lot, and she had had an allergic reaction to something unknown. It wasn't serious, but she couldn't stop sneezing.

Even hours later, out at the diner, she was still sneezing and blowing her nose almost constantly.

"I'm sorry." she said, sniffing. "I don't-" achoo "-know what it is-" achoo "-and I can't stop."

Booth was laughing and shaking his head. "You sound ridiculous!" he chuckled.

"Booth! She exclaimed, then followed it quickly by another sneeze into her napkin. "I can't control-" achoo "-it!" she blew her nose again.

He couldn't help but laugh, though, because her frequent sneezes- and indignation at his amusement- just tickled him so much.

He had scrawled it on a clean napkin the third time she had excused herself to go to the restroom. He quickly folded it up and put it in his breast pocket.

_"Somehow, Bones makes sneezing cute."_

----

_"I admire Booth's individualistic sense of style."_ And how could she not? She laughed to herself as she remembered the particular day she'd written it. He had been wearing one of his slim, goofy ties, his cocky belt buckle, and striped socks. The contrast of his no nonsense suit paired with these decidedly non-regulation accessories was quintessential Booth. It was a perfect reflection of his personality. He was professional and competent when needed, but he was also very funny, and knew how to let loose every once in awhile. Sometimes she wished she could be more like him, a little less buttoned up. He knew just how far to push the envelope, and she loved that goofy side of him.

----

**xoxo  
As always, thank you enormously for the reviews. I love you!**


	4. Threats

Things were getting worse. Dr. Brennan and Seeley only spoke when it was absolutely necessary, and even then it was curt and awkward for everyone. She didn't dare talk to Dr. Brennan about it. It wasn't really her business, anyway, and Cam knew that would be an uncomfortable conversation for both parties.

"Booth!" she ran to catch up with him as he left the lab. "Could I have a word?"

"Can I say no?" he asked.

"No." she led him to her office, where he stood facing her without saying anything.

"Seeley. This has to stop." she said.

"What does?" he said, expressionless.

"This… misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Camille, do you have eyes? This is much, much more than a simple 'misunderstanding.' Bones is being completely… insufferable!"

She studied him. "Maybe so. But that's Brennan, and you know that. She gets that way."

"She gets that way because people around her let her! Well, not me. No way, I'm done with that. I will not treat her with kid gloves anymore. She's not a child, although she's certainly acting like one." he said.

"Seeley-" Cam sighed.

"No, Cam, come on. You know I'm right. So does Angela, so does Hodgins, so does Zach. So does Bones, but she's the only one who won't admit it. I was right about DeVries and she was wrong and she should apologize!"

"Maybe true. But so should you, Booth. You said some pretty hurtful things, and not just about Dr. Brennan." she said, not unkindly.

"Look, Camille. I'm sorry that I said that about you, and Hodgins and Angela and Zach. I was out of line, and I have complete faith in you. But I can't apologize to her yet, because she needs to step up." he said.

"You know what I think? I think this issue is much, much deeper than who was right about a suspect. You two haven't been right for some time, and you need to fix that." she told him. "If you don't talk to Sweets, I will."

"Are you threatening me?" he growled. He was not a big fan of the kid, and he certainly didn't want him privy to information he'd rather keep to himself.

Cam gave him a hard look. "_Threatening _you? Yeah, but _Brennan_ is the only child in this situation." she shook her head and walked out of the room. "Make the call or I will!"


	5. Tact & Dancing

**As previously stated, this is one of my favorite sections so far. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :)**

---------------

"_Bones is much more tactful than she ever gets credit for." _This too had been written on a napkin, a fancy silver one that he filched from a table at one of the many Jeffersonian galas held for contributors. He had been speaking with a particularly dull woman by the name of Erica Jamison. She was older than he and had clearly been drinking a bit- she was very friendly. She kept placing her hand on his arm, leaning in close to tell a joke or share a bit of gossip. He was smiling politely, ever the gentleman, laughing or saying a few words when necessary, trying not to let his eyes wander the room. He had already tried to excuse himself three times when Bones sidled up to them, introducing herself smoothly and then taking Booth's hand. "He promised me a dance, you understand." she said, winking at the woman, who must've felt as though she were being let into a secret, because she giggled heartily and then turned and started searching, Booth figured, for someone to talk to about the two of them.

"Thank you," Booth told Bones once the two were dancing and he was sure Erica was far enough out of earshot.

"For what, Booth?" Bones said innocently.

He couldn't believe her perfect timing and not-so-subtle flirtation with him had been an accident, merely good luck on his part. Sure enough, when he looked into her face she was grinning, obviously pleased with herself.

"That's what I thought." He said, returning the grin.

----

"_Booth is a terrific dancer." _She hadn't written it on a napkin, but instead simply reminded herself to get out her yellow lined paper when she was home later than night. She and Angela had enjoyed watching him squirm while talking to Erica. After a few moments, though, Angela nudged her. "Sweetie, you should probably go get him." she said.

"Get him? Why? I don't need him." Brennan argued. "And this is amusing."

"Come on, Bren, he's miserable. Be _his_ knight in shining, black silk armor for once and go save him from that … woman." she raised her eyebrows at her. "Besides, he owes you a dance, right?" she said with a wink.

"No, he doesn't, we never-" Brennan started to protest, but Angela just pushed her toward Booth, and she complied.

She felt very powerful as she walked over to the pair. She was walking tall, her spine completely erect, her heels adding an extra three inches to her height. As she introduced herself, she observed that this woman was obviously intimidated by her. She smiled very sweetly and said, "He promised me a dance, you understand." she stole Angela's words, knowing she wouldn't mind, and then went a step farther and winked, again replicating her friend. She had to keep herself from laughing at the woman, who was clearly happy to feel as though she were a part of something, and quickly looked around to make sure someone saw her talking to the two of them.

She pulled Booth away from her, enjoying this new attitude she had adopted. It was fun to be in charge, even if it were just for a moment.

"Wow, Bones." she thought she heard him mutter. This just made her smile wider.

"Thank you." he said, taking her hand in one of his and encircling her waist with the other.

"For what, Booth?" she said coyly, still smiling.

He looked at her face, then said, "That's what I thought."

He twirled her around the dance floor, neither of them talking, for much longer than they normally would have. She wasn't sure if that was because she had "saved" him, or because Erica might still be watching, but she certainly didn't mind. Booth moved in easy, gracious steps, perfectly in time. He was an excellent dancer, and she was enjoying herself immensely.

They most likely would have continued dancing until the close of the gala, but Cam was giving her death glares from the other side of the room. Her boss was standing in a big group of people, most of them generous contributors, holding a glass of wine and laughing and talking. Brennan knew she should be doing the same- that was, after all, why she was present, so she regretfully drew away from Booth and thanked him for the dance.

He jokingly gave a little bow. "My pleasure, Lady Temperance."

She giggled at the nickname. There they stood, partners, the same Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan they always were. But for some reason, perhaps the dress and the tuxedo, the extra makeup and lack of silly tie and cocky belt buckle, the leftover giddiness the dance had granted them, the sparkling decorations, the soft clinking of glasses, or the tasteful music playing, they didn't feel like themselves as they looked at each other. Realizing she probably looked ridiculous, Brennan broke the gaze, smiled again, and walked away.

"_Booth is a terrific dancer."_


	6. Awkward

**I know, it's short! Please accept my full apologies. I'll update quite quickly.**

----

Dr. Lance Sweets was waiting patiently in his office. Despite his instincts (and Dr. Saroyan) telling him this was going to be a very uncomfortable meeting, he was looking forward to it. Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth were a fascinating pair, overflowing with vast psychological potential. In all the time he'd seen them, however, they'd never been angry at each other.

He was jotting down questions when Dr. Brennan walked in.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan." he said pleasantly, setting his clipboard on his lap.

"Good evening, Dr. Sweets." she replied tonelessly as she sat down.

"Where is Agent Booth?" he inquired innocently.

"I wouldn't know." her tone was icy.

"How are you today?" he continued the pleasantries, ignoring her chilly mood.

"Fine, thank you." she was staring determinedly at the bookshelf behind him, so he stopped trying to engage her in conversation.

Ten minutes later and five minutes after their session was supposed to start, they were still sitting in silence, waiting for Agent Booth. He'd never been late before, but he'd also rarely arrived separately from Dr. Brennan.

"Would you like to call him and see why he's running late?" Sweets asked Brennan.

"No."

More silence. He studied her while they waited. Closer to the end of the couch than usual, she was seated at the edge, legs crossed tightly, spine rigid and completely straight, arms crossed over her chest. Defensive, uncomfortable. She wasn't making eye contact at all, and her face was blank. She appeared to be memorizing the title of every book on his shelf.

Twelve minutes after their session was supposed to begin, Booth pushed the door open and flung himself onto the couch. He was sitting as far away from where Dr. Brennan was perched without clinging to the arm of the couch, Sweets observed silently.

"Evening, Agent Booth." Sweets smiled at him.

Booth looked at him and nodded defiantly, as if daring the psychologist to mention his tardiness. Sweets met his stare without backing down. After perhaps fifteen seconds that felt like much longer, Booth looked away from him. He hadn't looked at Dr. Brennan yet, Sweets noticed, nor she him.

_Well, this ought to be interesting…_


	7. Aristotle & The Pogo Ball

**I like this one a lot. For those of you who aren't aware, a pogo ball is basically a rubber ball, sliced through the center by a platform of sorts. You stand on the platform, squeezing one end of the ball between your feet, and jump up and down on it. I don't know how else to describe it. Anyway, it's a very cool toy. (:**

----

"_Booth is a man full of surprises."_

They were in the car, on the way home from a crime scene.

"You see, Booth? This is what marriage leads to." she was saying.

"Come on, Bones! That's ridiculous! That is not a good example of a marriage, and you know that." he said, rising to the bait.

"But it is an example. And there are more just like that. Almost fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. The rate of marriage has been dropping steadily since 1998. Society is progressive, people see that getting married isn't practical, and-"

"That's ridiculous." he interrupted.

"Just because you say it's ridiculous doesn't mean that it's not true. I'm merely stating facts, Booth." she said calmly.

"Marriage is sacred- just because our society leans one way or another doesn't mean that way is _right_, Bones. Marriage is right." he stated.

"I don't understand how you can maintain that point of view. I'm presenting a very logical argument. It doesn't make sense to disagree with irrefutable fact."

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." he said.

She was so surprised at this statement from him that her next argument died on her lips.

He smiled, watching the road.

"I didn't know you were a fan of Aristotle." she said, her tone completely different.

He continued to smile. "Well… I guess I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

She chuckled at him. "I guess so."

----

"Bones has an unexpected playful side. Also, her feet are very sexy." He remembered this occurrence more clearly than some of the other ones. It was one of his favorite memories of Bones, actually. They had gone out to interview a victim's brother. The man, Cal White, owned a vintage toy store. Bones did her usual wandering around, inspecting her surroundings while Booth talked to Cal. She usually stuck close, observing and occasionally commenting and asking questions about the things she saw, but this time she said nothing. When he finished asking questions, Booth turned around, but didn't see Bones. Stepping over a pile of cabbage patch dolls, he turned a corner to see her studying something he couldn't see.

"What is it, Bones?"

"A…pogo ball." she said, her tone indiscernible.

"A pogo ball?" he clarified. What, was this the murder weapon, or something? It was his impression that the guy had been stabbed, not beaten to death with a popular eighties toy.

"Yeah…" she sounded faraway. "I had one of these."

"Did you?" he didn't do a very good job hiding his surprise.

"I was a child once, Booth." she said, finally looking at him. She sounded a little defensive to him.

"I know, Bones. I just…"

"Saw me as more of a chemistry set-toting kid?" she asked, her voice now portraying no emotion, which was worse.

He didn't know what to say. Yes, perhaps he pictured a young Bones, inside her house, playing with her chemistry set or putting together a plastic human body toy, but he didn't want to say that to her. It was hard for him to separate the Bones she was today to the Temperance Brennan she had been before her parents' disappearance- a young, carefree, normal kid with normal toys.

"It's okay, I understand." she said, turning away from him.

He felt awkward, which was why he blurted, "I'll bet I could jump more than you, Bones."

He had expected her to turn on him, say something about acting his age, or perhaps citing the weight capacity of a toy like that, but she surprised him again.

"That's highly unlikely." she said, laughing.

"You're on!" he said.

"Fine, you first." she retorted.

He make seventeen jumps before losing his balance. "That was a warm-up." he explained. "Your turn, and when you're done, if you've beat seventeen, I'll beat your number."

She looked at him and chuckled again, then slipped out of her heels.

After twenty five jumps, he said, "Yeah, I can still beat you."

After sixty seven, he said, "Okay, fine, you win."

After ninety nine bounces, all he could do was stare at her, completely consumed by the mess her hair had become, her heavy breath, and especially her tiny bare feet.

After one hundred and fifty one bounces, she gracefully stepped off and smiled at him, then slipped back into her shoes and led the way to the exit, leaving a stunned Booth in her wake.

----

**I've gotten a few reviews from people who say they're confused about the story, so I thought I'd take a moment to address this. I'm sorry that the chapters are jumping around and you don't like that, but that's just the way I wrote it. I think it makes it interesting and dynamic and I really like it. If you're really confused, you can read the odd chapters first, then the even chapters, or vice versa, but I don't recommend it. I also am not sure how long I will be keeping it consistent like that, so I suggest just reading them in order. I am sad to hear that it's confusing, though. I hope not everyone is befuddled. :/  
The other thing a few people have mentioned was how awkward it would be on the show if our two main characters were to actually fight. To tell you the truth, I love it, it's buckets of fun to write, and I think it is a distinct possibility in the show. They're are obviously loads of sexual tension between them and they're both passionate characters. I think that sooner or later they will have a real fight- they already bicker quite a lot. Also, I think a fight is the perfect way to lead to some honest truth telling- perhaps revealing their feelings for one another? Just saying...  
Thanks to all of my kind reviewers! I am enjoying your feedback immensely. I also appreciate all of the people following the story through alerts- even if you aren't reviewing, it's nice to know you're reading! I'd love your thoughts! And if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Not guaranteeing anything, of course... ;)  
Hope to hear from you!  
-Hanna**


	8. Brooding

**Wow! Thanks for all of the reassuring reviews! You guys mean so much to me. :) I'm really glad the majority of you are enjoying this so much. I have put a lot of effort into it, and I'm glad you noticed. :D Yay!  
For that, you deserve answers! (We'll ignore the fact that the timing was completely coincidental, and this was the next chapter anyway, right? ;D )**

----

Therapy was such bull. Honestly, who would elect to sit through that? Let alone pay thousands of dollars for it…

It had been one of the most uncomfortable nights he could remember. He and Bones had avoided eye contact until Sweets forced them to face each other. _If only my badge and partnership weren't dependant on this little twerp_, he thought. It was hard to look at her and not crumble, but he was determined.

He'd never stayed mad at Bones this long. It was clear she was surprised that he hadn't cleaned up their mess yet. Sweets missed the whole point entirely. His feeble attempts to get them to work through their "issues" had resulted in quite a few harsh words from both of them, plus a few threats from him to Sweets. It was very obvious to Booth that Brennan wanted to put this behind them, but didn't really know how. He shook his head at her ignorance. Why couldn't she understand the problem?  
He didn't want to try. He could, he knew that. It would be so easy to pick up the phone, speak a few words, fix it just like that. But he didn't _want_ to. His belligerence in therapy was very purposeful, and he felt a little bad about that. He was supposed to be the fixer, after all. The protector, the one that made things right.

And he wanted things to be right again, he really did. But he was so tired of always catering to her, of being the bad guy, of apologizing even when things weren't entirely his fault. If she would just initiate, he'd be fine. But it seemed very important for him to stand his ground in this situation. He didn't want to follow the precedent he had already set. He needed her to make an effort.

---

Brennan was pacing through her house restlessly. She was past anger. She missed Booth so much- it was like part of had been taken away without her permission. Yes, this was cliché, but she needed him to be a real part of her life again. Their session with Sweets had brought a lot of things to the surface, but nothing had been resolved. She generally like Dr. Sweets- sure, he was a bit pompous and reminded her a little of an adoring puppy, but he was smart. She wished that she had tried harder to fix things. It was obvious from Booth's attitude that he had walked in there not willing to compromise or try to solve anything, and she should've put more effort into making up for his apathy.

Sweets had suggested that they write things down about each other that they admired. He said that if they made a habit of noticing the good things about their partner, they would "sail through rough patches like these, no sweat." He also mentioned how healthy it would be to go back and read past observations if they were feeling angry or upset with one another. Booth had scoffed and immediately made a rude comment about not knowing Sweets was actually a marriage counselor. At the time, this seemed a valid point, Brennan had thought. Wasn't writing affirmations something married couples do? But Sweets had told them that these weren't affirmations; they would keep them to themselves, to remind each of them of how much they cared for the other.

She eyed the yellow legal pad on her desk.

----

**Well, to be honest, for the first time I'm not sure quite where this story is going next. I have the bulk of it already written, I just haven't decided on the order quite yet. Stay tuned!**


	9. Reconciliation

**It's been awhile! I've been busy and I've also been avoiding deciding what direction I want to go next. Like I already said, it's mostly all written, it's just the dragging and dropping and making order of things that I don't really want to do. But here I am, thanks largely to Rachel (_rburry01_) and her encouraging message to me a few days ago! So you can graciously thank her for this chapter. (:**

**----**

Booth's phone rang at 2:21 AM. He glanced blearily at his glowing alarm clock before flipping open his phone. "Booth." he said groggily.

A sniffle, then a small, "It's me."

He sat up. She was crying. Was she okay? Did she need his help? Was someone hurting her? She didn't sound good at all.

"Bones, are you okay?" he asked, forgetting how tired he was. He jumped out of bed and pulled his pants on, walking through the house to get his keys.

"Yes. Booth, I'm fine, no one is holding me captive or anything like that." she chuckled at the alarm in his voice.

He sighed. "What do you need? I was sleeping."

She must have heard the alarm in his voice swiftly turn into irritation, because she said quickly, "I was wrong. I was so wrong, not to trust you. Of course you were right, you don't insist on following a lead unless you're confident in your ability to read a situation, and I took my frustration about the lack of adequate results on you and made you feel-"

"Bones, slow down. Seriously. Apology accepted." he said, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He ached for her, and he didn't want to waste time rehashing that case.

"What? But Booth, you were so angry! Just like that, it's done, you've forgiven me, we're fine? I don't understand." she sounded confused.

"Look, Bones… I'm sorry as well. I said some pretty harsh things to you, and I made no effort to make it right. I was wrong, too."

"It's that easy? We've been avoiding each other for weeks and reconciliation could've happened in a sixty second conversation?" she sounded irritated and confused.

He laughed at her. "I guess so. Bones, I miss you. Wanna get lunch tomorrow?" He grinned so widely he was sure she could hear it through the phone, somehow. He thought about saying this aloud, just to hear her refute the silly observation.

"Sounds great." she replied.

When he got off the phone with her he reached for a bill on his kitchen table. He flipped the envelope over and on the back, wrote simply, "_I respect Bones very much."_

_----_


	10. Outburst

_Present Day_

They were sitting at her kitchen table, eating Chinese out of cardboard containers. Other than the sounds of an easy Sun Ra album playing in the background, it was quiet. She was reading the latest issue of _Anthropology Today,_ and he was letting his mind wander idly.

His eyes came to rest on her. Whatever she was reading, apparently it was riveting, because her brow was furrowed in concentration and she had stopped taking bites of her rice and was focusing completely on whatever article had caught her attention. Her eyes scanned the words quickly and easily. He had flipped through one of those magazines in her office a time or two- very, very dull. It had captivated her attention, though, which didn't surprise him.

He waited until she had finished reading the article and then said, "Bones, I really want to thank you for letting me stay here. It's much better than a hotel."

"Angela coerced me into it." she said without looking up from the periodical.

"Wow, Bones, if I had known it was so-"

"I was kidding, Booth! I'm allowed to do that, right?" she finally made eye contact, giving him a smile.

"Of course!" he let out a breath. "I'm just… not used to it."

She chuckled. "Well, I'm learning. Really, it's no trouble, I've already told you that. And Angela had nothing to do with my decision."

Booth's apartment building was being worked on- something about extensive termite damage in the lower floors- and he'd been asked to vacate his home for at least two weeks. He had mentioned this to Bones, complaining about being forced to live in a hotel, and she had swiftly and graciously offered him her guest bedroom.

Honestly, living in her apartment didn't seem all that different. They were working on cases together more often than not, ate dinner with each other most nights a week, and almost always completed paperwork together.

And it certainly wasn't like spending time with her was a burden, after all.

----

She rose from her seat to help Booth with the dishes, but he insisted on cleaning up alone.

"Please. It's the least I can do." he had said. So she settled for watching him and enjoying light, pleasant conversation.

She had offered him her guest bedroom without even thinking about it, because she knew that's exactly what he would've done if the roles were reversed. To her mild surprise, she really enjoyed him staying there. They had dinner together almost every evening, anyway, so things didn't change all that much. And despite her occasional whining, she didn't mind him using the extra time together to immerse her in popular culture. He insisted that wasn't his intention, but they'd watched so many movies and television shows since he'd arrived that she couldn't keep them all straight. But she appreciated his effort, and she had to admit, she'd been enjoying herself.

Booth interrupted her musings. "Bones, Bones, you know what we should do?" he asked eagerly. She smiled at how boyish he looked.

"What should we do, Booth?" she asked indulgently.

"We should make cookies!" he exclaimed.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why… why would we do that?"

But Booth didn't answer, he was already rifling through her cupboards.

"Booth? What are you doing?" she asked, standing up.

"Cookbook , cookbook…" he was muttering to himself. "Aha!" he shouted.

He had opened her spice cupboard and located the green and yellow box marked "Recipes." He reached for it.

"Stop!" she said suddenly. He swiftly pulled his hand away as though something had bit it. "There... aren't any recipes in there."

She crossed the room quickly and shut the cupboard door.

He stared at her with his mouth open. She felt bad at her sudden, unwarranted outburst.

"Sorry." she said quickly. "I just... cookbooks are over here." she told him as she led him to the correct cupboard. "I don't use them very much. Or really... ever." She gave an unconvincing chuckle and tried to avoid his confused glances.

----


	11. The Grocery Store

Booth just stared at Brennan, unsure of what do to or say. His realized he was gaping at her and immediately closed his mouth.

"Sorry. I just… cookbooks are over here." she walked over to the microwave and opened the cupboard above it. "I… don't use them very much. Or really ever." she gave a strange, forced laugh. She averted her eyes, obviously trying to gloss over that awkward moment, so he played along, taking his cues from her.

He clapped his hands, then rubbed them together, remembering his excitement. "Alright, Bones, let's get baking!" He pulled out the first cookbook he saw and flipped it open to the index.

"Cookies, cookies… here we go, chocolate chip. Okay, Bones, do you have flour, baking soda, salt, butter…" he ran down the list of necessary ingredients.

She looked overwhelmed. "Booth, I haven't baked anything since I was nine years old. I don't have over half of those things, at least."

"Okay… let's go, then!" He said excitedly.

"Where?" she asked.

"The grocery store, Bones!"

----

His excitement was contagious. He bounded around the store, happily grabbing boxes and bottles and bags of ingredients and throwing them into the cart. He sang silly little songs to her, danced around the aisles, tried to get her to act like a child with him. Soon she found herself having a lot of fun, she joined in on a few of his songs, accepted his many high-fives, laughed loudly with him. She was amazed at how little she cared about what other people must be thinking of them.

Back at home, they took turns adding ingredients to the mixing bowl. She felt bad about her earlier outburst about the recipe box, so she only laughed when he flung flour in her face, ate chocolate chips by the handful, and turned the music on just a tad too loud.

After the cookies were in the oven, Brennan opened a bottle of red wine (not that Booth needed it, but why not?) and got two wineglasses from the china cabinet.

"There you are, Sir Seeley." she said, pouring him some wine and smiling.

"Why, thank you, Lady Temperance," he said graciously, returning the grin.

The delicious smell of baking cookies filled the room quickly.

"I must say, there is a definite upside to baking your own cookies," Brennan admitted.

"Ha! I told you, Bones. Nothing beats this!" he said triumphantly. "It's definitely worth it!"

"I'm quite sure you had so many chocolate chips and so much dough, you won't be hungry for the final product." she teased.

"Nahh, always room for fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies." he said, patting his stomach.

"Of course," she said, shaking her head.

----

**I am absolutely loving all of the feedback you're giving me. Thank you so much! I'm really appreciating everyone's feedback and opinions, it makes me feel all fuzzy! The next installment is coming very quickly, because this one was pretty short.**


	12. Truth or Dare

After a few glasses of wine, Booth felt brave enough to ask. "So, what was that all about, earlier? With the recipe box?"

She looked at him, apparently considering her answer. He took that moment to study her once more. She had changed into comfortable pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail while they were mixing the cookie dough and she hadn't taken it out. He was still in his jeans, but he too had put on a t-shirt, and both of them had bare feet. This moment was so perfect to him that he wanted to take a picture, something he would be able to look at and remember later.

"I'd rather not talk about it." she said finally.

He didn't answer, just took another drink of the wine.

"It's just… personal." she continued. "I would be embarrassed."

"If I tell you something embarrassing about me, will you tell me?" he was curious.

She laughed. "Your idea of embarrassing and mine are different, remember?" she asked. "We've played this game before."

"Fine. Let's play a game!" he suggested.

"Such as?"

"Truth or dare!" Wine made him say peculiar things.

"No, Booth. We're not fifteen." she said. He knew she'd had the same amount of alcohol that he had, so why wasn't she showing it? He felt a little light-headed and much looser, but she seemed to be the same pristine Temperance Brennan that she always was.

"Pleeeaaaase?" he whined. "You go first."

"What? Why? It was your idea!" she protested. He just grinned at her until she said, "Fine, truth."

"What's in the recipe box?" as soon as it was out of his mouth, he regretted it. To his surprise, however, she laughed.

"I see what this is about. Fine, never mind. Dare."

"Hmm… I dare you to go get the recipe box and show me what's inside." he said triumphantly.

To his complete shock, she stood up, walked over to the cupboard, got the box, took off the lid, and showed him. All he saw was a folded piece of lined yellow paper with a date on it in her handwriting, then she snapped the lid back on and returned it to its place.

"By the way, Booth, that will not be there after this evening." she said as she sat back down.

"What? Bones, come on. I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't look at something of yours that you explicitly said was private." he was hurt, and it showed. "Don't you know me?"

----

Brennan was feeling the alcohol, of that she was certain. "I'm sorry. No, I know that isn't you. You wouldn't do that." she apologized. It was taking all of her effort to form completely coherent sentences.

At that moment, the oven timer buzzed, and they both jumped up. Booth beat her to the stove and grabbed the oven mitts, grinning again. He pulled out the hot tray of cookies and set it on top of the stove. "Wow, these look fantastic!" he said.

"They look…underdone." she argued. And they did, they were still very moist, like half baked blobs of dough.

"No, they're perfect. Once they cool off they'll be the perfect consistency. Trust me." he said.

She eyed him for a moment. "If you say so."

They sat back down, returning to their wine. Brennan was sure she shouldn't be indulging so much, but it was so pleasant. She didn't want to end the evening, so she kept refilling both of their glasses.

----

**Well... the next chapter is another of my favorites. (: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	13. Perfection

Not ten minutes after he took the cookies out of the oven, Bones jumped up and grabbed a plate and a spatula.

"No! Bones, they're not set up quite yet!" he chided her.

Her eyes gleamed at him as she looked at him and then defied him, scooping three cookies onto her plate and carrying them back over to the table.

He watched her as she started eating one, immediately closing her eyes, clearly savoring the flavor. He couldn't help but smile.

"Booth." she said. "You have to eat one like this… they're… perfect." she took another bite.

He did so, and immediately realized she was right. They were soft, so soft they were falling apart, and warm and gooey. In no time, they'd finished eating the three she'd brought over, and she went and got more.

He wasn't sure what he enjoyed more, eating the perfect cookies or watching her eat them. She looked so happy, and he couldn't get enough. He was used to distant, cool Bones. He also knew angry Bones well, especially recently. He knew sad Bones, he knew stressed Bones, he knew contemplative Bones, he knew hurt Bones, brash, abrasive Bones. But what she was right now could only be described as blissful. He knew that this was the heady wine talking, and at the moment he was okay with that. She wasn't drunk, just much more relaxed than usual, and he loved it.

----

She couldn't get enough of these cookies. She hadn't realized how satisfying making your own food really could be, but she vowed to do it more often. She understood now why fresh chocolate chip cookies were such a comfort food, a childhood staple… she had forgotten, but they were perfect.

"Bones, you have a little chocolate-" he gestured to her cheek. She brought a napkin to her face, but he just laughed. "No, you're missing it." he said. Suddenly, he leaned over the table and used his thumb to wipe the corner of her mouth. His face was inches from hers, and she could smell his breath- a mix of the wine and the cookies, and something else. It was perfect. She couldn't take her eyes off of his, and his hand was still barely touching her face.

They stayed that way, suspended in time, it seemed, although it only lasted perhaps ten seconds. Knowing she needed to break the moment before one of them did something they would regret later, she blurted out, "They're about you."

"What?" Booth said quietly, not moving.

"The papers. In the box."

He sat back down in his chair. She was surprised at how she suddenly missed the warmth of his hand, the way their breath had mixed, the intense stare he'd been giving her.

"About me?" he seemed confused.

"Yes. Sweets told us once, awhile back, that we should write down nice things about each other." she explained. "Well, I did. And… I just never stopped."

She had no idea what his reaction would be.

He laughed. Loudly.

She couldn't hide how offended she was. She looked at him incredulously, then quickly got up out of her chair and walked away from him, heading toward her bedroom.

"Bones!" he called after her. "Wait, Bones! That's not… I wasn't laughing at you!"

She ignored him. She had shared this personal moment with him, and he had _laughed_.

"Bones!" he caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Stop it, Booth!" She said, trying to wrench her arm from his grasp. "I can't believe you just laughed at that!" The hurt in her voice was apparent, she was sure.

"I'm sorry!" he said, grabbing her other arm. They were face to face, Booth clutching her arms tightly and looking in her face, all traces of laughter gone. "I don't know why I laughed. The thing is…" he hesitated.

Brennan was completely confused.

"…I did those, too. Actually, still do." To her amazement, he pulled out his wallet. Rifling through it, he grabbed the receipt from the grocery store from earlier that evening and handed it to her. She unfolded it, biting her lip.

----

He held his breath as he watched her unfold the receipt. She read it quickly, but didn't look up. He didn't know what this meant. She stared at it for a full minute before looking up at him. Her eyes were shining.

"Nothing makes me happier than when Bones acts like a kid."

Booth just smiled.

"Really?" she asked him seriously, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I could add, 'Bones has an amazing singing voice, even when she's half sloshed.'" he joked.

She choked out a laugh, and he pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Mine was going to be 'Booth manages to make everything fun, and I appreciate him constantly showing me things to be joyous about.'" She said after a moment. "You really did this? That surprises me."

"I have over forty of them." he said, completely serious.

She gave him a smile that literally made him weak in the knees. She was so sweet, so vulnerable sometimes. It was easy to forget because of her seemingly harsh exterior, but she really was. He loved that about her.

----

**:D  
Review, please? I love you guys.**


	14. Musings

**Well, the response to my last chapter was overwhelming. I really, really appreciate everyone's comments. I am so happy to see so many people on alert and to see my story favorited. Thank you so much! It is very encouraging.  
Without further ado, here it is. It's quite angsty, to balance out the cotton candy that made up the last chapter. (:  
I do sincerely hope you enjoy it.  
Hanna**

----

Later that night, lying in her bed, she tried to make sense of what had happened. It didn't help matters much knowing that he was sleeping literally thirty feet away. It also didn't help that between the two of them, they'd consumed the entire bottle of wine.

She never would've guessed that he had been writing things down about her, just as she did about him so often.

She marveled at the things running through her head at the moment. She had admitted before that Booth was very sexually appealing man, physically, and an ideal partner. But she had never been as intensely attracted to him as she felt when his face was inches from hers across the kitchen, or even more so after he'd shown her that receipt and pulled her in for a hug. She had buried her face in his chest, deeply breathing in the smell of him, clutching his shirt, listening to his heart beat. She had wanted to maintain that position forever. It felt so perfect, melting into him. She wished she could memorize his scent, and the feel of her hand in her hair. Even now, as inexplicable tears were streaming down her face, she took a deep breath and thought of the way they fit together so nicely, and how reluctant they both were to pull away from each other. _What is this feeling?_

----

More than ever, he wished he could see inside her brain. He had thought this before, but never more fervently than now. He had no idea how she was feeling or what she was thinking. On the other hand, _she_ probably didn't either. He considered this. It was probably best to leave her alone for awhile, let her mull things over before trying to talk to her about it. He knew of her tendency to retreat into herself, to shut everyone else out.

What had happened? They had crossed that line, no doubt about that. He thought about why he had drawn that line in the first place. Everything had blurred so much since then, and he wished he could pinpoint exactly when that had happened.

Earlier, in the kitchen, he had wanted nothing more than to lean into her, to close the space between their faces and kiss her deeply. In fact, if she had moved even half an inch closer to his face, he would've done it. As it was, she broke the moment, and he should probably be grateful for that. He wondered how long he had been lying to himself, pretending the only things he felt about her were respect, friendship, and a concern for her safety. Of course, he did respect her, did value her friendship, did care deeply about her safety. But now he was beginning to understand how much deeper it was, how much more there was below the surface. They'd been partners for four years now. Four years to cultivate a relationship that he knew now was everything to him. Without her, his world would shatter. He had always been attracted to her, always cared about her very much, but this was different. The only thing he wanted to do right now was barge into her bedroom, tell her what she meant to him, and finally give into the mutual attraction they felt. He believed it was mutual- if the way she looked at him tonight was any indication, anyway.

He was overwhelmed by her show of trust earlier that evening. She had them, too? He still couldn't believe it. He wanted nothing more than to read them, study her familiar handwriting, see little snippets of how she felt about him. But after she had read what he'd written on the back of that receipt, they had shared a pleasant moment, and then abruptly she said, "I need to go to bed. Talk to you in the morning." she nodded at him, not waiting for a response, and then disappeared into her room, snapping the door shut behind her. He had stared at the door for a full five minutes in silence before turning slowly and regretfully retreating into his own room. Now here he was, hours later, traces of dawn appearing, not knowing how to sleep, or move, or do anything but think about her.


	15. On a Sunday

Cam scanned her card and walked onto the platform. She took a deep breath, looking around. Even when the lights were off and no one was around, this place felt familiar and secure. Various machines buzzed quietly as she made her way across the platform to her office. It was early, not yet 6:00, and she had come in to catch up on paperwork. She knew she wouldn't be bothered- it was Sunday, after all.

She was elbow deep in case files and getting frustrated when there was a tentative knock on her door. She looked up and was surprised to see Dr. Brennan.

"Good morning, Dr. Saroyan." she said.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan. What are you doing here at-" she glanced at her watch- "7:30 on a Sunday morning?"

"Just… thought I'd get some writing done." Brennan replied. "I didn't think anyone else would be here- is this a habit of yours?"

"No, not at all. I've just been really busy lately and need to play catchup. I didn't know you came here to write." Cam said.

"I usually don't." Brennan said as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, almost nervously. "I just- figured I'd be able to really concentrate on my work if I came here."

Cam smiled. She had wondered how this whole situation would play out- Booth staying at Dr. Brennan's apartment indefinitely. They were bound to get on each other's nerves. Either that or finally jump each other.

"Ah. Is Booth bothering you?" she suppressed a small chuckle.

To her surprise, Brennan looked a little flustered. "What? No…no. Booth isn't… he's not doing anything to irritate…that's not what I…" she trailed off.

"I see." Cam said, though she absolutely did not.

"He's still sleeping." Brennan said, as though this explained everything. "I left him a note."

Cam just nodded.

"Well. I'd better, um, I'd better get writing. And I'll leave you to your…paperwork." Brennan said.

"Okay. Well, good luck…with your writing." Cam told her, smiling.

"Yes. I figured a change of scenery might help, you know." Brennan told her as she left the office.

_Of course you did. _Cam thought. _Hmm… I wonder what's going on there._

----

Lance Sweets was playing baseball with some of the neighborhood kids when his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he was surprised to see that it was Agent Booth calling.

"Hang on, guys." he called out. "I've got to take this."

Ignoring the whiny protests, he opened his phone. "Lance Sweets." he said officially.

"Sweets, hey. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday afternoon- uh… are you busy? This is Booth." Booth said quickly.

"I- busy? No-" he was cut off by one of the kids on his team yelling at him to hurry up. "Here!" he said, tossing the ball. "Jeremy, you can pitch for me."

"What are you doing?" Agent Booth asked, laughing.

"Nothing really, I was getting the mail and some of the neighbor kids asked if I wanted to play baseball, so I was just tossing the ball around a little bit. I-"

"Can I join you?" Booth interrupted.

Sweets was so surprised, he almost dropped the phone. "What? Yeah, sure. I mean, if you want-"

"I do. Where do you live?"

After Sweets gave him directions, Booth said, "I'll be there in ten," and then hung up.

_What?_

_----_

**Ahhh, I can't even begin to tell you all how absolutely marvelous you are! I thrive on your awesome reviews. Thank you SO much for reading! (:  
I've been thinking about the description for this story: "Booth and Brennan take a suggestion from Sweets a little too seriously" and I am starting to think that isn't a very good synopsis. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I should change it to? I'd love your opinion.  
Hanna**


	16. Confessions

When Booth arrived, he parked and made his way toward Sweets and the gang of boys in the yard.

"Guys," Sweets shouted. "This is Special Agent Booth from the F.B.I., he's a colleague of mine. He's going to join, is that cool?" As though any of them were going to protest.

Sure enough, the boys quickly surrounded him, asking to see his badge and his gun.

Booth smiled and played along, showing the kids the badge, explaining that he didn't carry his gun with him all the time, and making a few jokes. Though he was handling himself well- he got along great with kids- Sweets could easily tell he was distracted and not fully himself today.

He made his way over to the group. "Alright, are we going to play some ball, or what?" he said, clapping his hands.

It was decided that Sweets and Booth would be team captains. After nine competitive innings, Sweets' team admitted defeat (most of them) and everyone bid enthusiastic farewells to Booth, then ran off in various directions, probably to brag about playing baseball with an honest-to-God F.B.I. agent.

Sweets was gathering the Frisbees they had used as makeshift bases when Booth joined him. "Sounds like you're coming back to do this again." he stated, squinting against the sunlight as he looked up at Booth. He had gracefully promised the boys he'd come back again sometime to play another game.

"I guess so." Booth said. "I'll bring Parker next time."

"I'm sure he'll be excited about that." Sweets smiled. "Would you like to come inside?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

Sweets led him into his house, feeling just a little disoriented due to the change of scenery. He didn't particularly like bringing Booth onto his turf, especially on short notice, and he eyed the takeout boxes and messy stacks of DVDs and computer games with apprehension. He needn't have worried, however, because it was clear Agent Booth was distracted and caught up in his own thoughts.

"So, how's it going, living with Dr. Brennan?" Sweets asked after they had sat down. He had a feeling whatever was distracting Booth was related to his partner.

"Fine." Booth said, focusing on the coaster he had picked up from the coffee table and was rolling around in his hands.

Sweets didn't say anything. Often this was the easiest way to get someone to speak, and although he knew Booth knew that, he let the silence permeate.

Sure enough, after about thirty seconds, Booth said, "Weird, you know? I'm not really sure. It's just this crazy…" he stopped playing with the coaster, spacing out completely. This intrigued Sweets, so still he said nothing.

"I don't even know why I came. I don't even… this is stupid." Booth was saying.

"Well, you're here, so it doesn't really matter why you came." Not entirely true, but they'd leave that for another time. "Did something happen between the two of you?" Sweets asked.

"Not really. Well, yeah, but not what you would think."

"I would never presume anything." Sweets said.

"We made cookies last night. Do you remember a few months back, when we were fighting a lot?" Booth finally looked up.

Sweets tried to connect the dots. "Yes, I remember."

"I surprised myself by taking your advice." Booth told him. "I wrote nice stuff…about Bones."

Sweets was surprised as well. "Really?" he leaned forward. "What made you decide to do that?"

Booth leaned back. "I don't know. It was weird… she called that night and apologized, and I jotted something down, and now I do it, just every once in a while."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Maybe…" Booth paused. "Maybe I don't want to forget."

"Forget what?" Sweets asked. This was fascinating.

"Once, I beat Bones at a game of checkers. She is _not _a very gracious loser."

Sweets remained silent, wishing he was writing this down.

"And… I don't know. It freaks me out, though."

"What does?"

"Not…remembering her. Or that stupid game of checkers. I don't ever want to forget the stuff she says, you know? I'm writing it down, because what if I forgot?"

"What if you forgot?"

"I'd be… lost."

----

_Trusting someone is difficult. Trusting someone with your heart is very near impossible. If you give out too much of yourself, sooner or later there will be nothing left for you, and where would you be then? If you haven't been hurt, it seems to be remarkable easy to be flippant about guarding yourself. But if you recognize the sting of a broken heart, you know. You know how excruciating it is to be alone. How much agony one person can cause you. How hard it can be to get out of bed every day. Why take a chance? Do the benefits of loving someone outweigh the inevitable risk that accompanies giving yourself completely to someone?_

But what if that wasn't true? Angela easily gave away pieces of herself all the time, and to everyone- Hodgins, her college girlfriend, her (ex)husband, even Brennan herself. Was Angela worse off? Did she feel incomplete? Or was it just the opposite?

She sighed and hit the delete button. She couldn't write, not now. Her own personal thoughts were clouding the vision she had for this particular character. Not that she wanted to give Booth her heart, that wasn't it. What was it, then? She didn't know where those words had come from.

Frustrated, she stood and began pacing her office.

_I don't love Booth. I don't even believe in love. You can't do something you don't believe is real, so rationally there is no_ way _I love him. I have some sort of misguided attachment to him because he hasn't abandoned me, like other people in my life. God, I hate psychology._


	17. Out

**It's been awhile, so this one is lengthy. I hope you enjoy!**

----

They danced around the subject from then on. No one mentioned the letters, or any of the other events of that night. It was funny how easy it was to avoid things if you just focused your efforts, Booth realized. Even though that night and that stupid recipe box consumed most of his thoughts, he pushed it back when she was around, throwing himself into his cases with urgency- even more so than usual.

She, too, was either a phenomenal actress or wasn't thinking about the notes at all, because she was exactly how she always was. It surprised him that there was no strain in their relationship, and he seemed to be the only one making a forced effort to keep things normal.

He had moved out of her apartment and back into his own just a few days after the night they had baked cookies, and he had a feeling she was as grateful for that as he was. He couldn't decide, however, if he was relieved or disappointed- probably a little of both.

He realized that he had been playing pretend- telling himself that waking up in her apartment, drinking coffee with her in the morning, constantly seeing her outside of work was his life, that it was the norm. And he had liked it, a lot. But now he was back at his own place, very much alone.

He prowled around his apartment restlessly.

----

Brennan was glad to have Booth out of her apartment. It had been just a little uncomfortable, after that night, though she tried valiantly to keep things exactly the same. Booth didn't seem uncomfortable with her at all. That was good, although sometimes she'd catch him looking at her longer than necessary, or staring into the distance, unconsciously tuning out what she said.

She bit her tongue every time she had the urge to ask about his notes; she wanted him to bring it up. Which he didn't, so she assumed he didn't want her to read them. It didn't seem like Booth to keep silent about it, though. She felt sure he wanted to read hers, and it surprised her that he could keep it to himself. When Booth wanted something, sometimes he was relentless in his pursuit to get it, whatever it was. In this case, she had assumed he would badger her until she relented, letting him read hers if she could read his. He didn't pester her at all, however, and she found herself a little bit disappointed.

The morning after the cookie baking and discovery of the notes, she had paced her office until she was frustrated and confused, then sought out Cam. Generally she didn't go to her boss for advice, but for some reason, she found herself walking to her office.

Cam looked up when she knocked, still working on paperwork, looking frustrated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." Brennan had said, turning to leave.

"No! Dr. Brennan, I'm sorry… it's fine. I could use the distraction." the woman had replied, getting up from her desk. "Let's walk."

Brennan followed her out onto the platform and then up to the lounge. She busied herself making tea while Cam sat in one of the plush armchairs, looking at her. "Did you need something?"

"No, I was just stretching my legs." Brennan replied. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure, thanks." Cam replied, stretching out and adjusting the chair so she could set her feet on the seat next to hers.

Brennan finished making the tea in silence, then handed a mug to her boss and took a seat across from her.

The two women sipped for a few minutes, not saying anything.

Brennan decided to break the silence. She leaned forward and said, "I think Booth has feelings for me."

Cam nodded, but said nothing. Brennan was glad for the moment that she was having this conversation with Cam and not Angela.

"Sweets told us we should write down nice things about each other, and I did, and last night I found out he's been doing the same thing."

If Cam was confused, she didn't let on. "Really?" she said between sips.

"It was supposed to be an exercise to remind us of the things we value in each other. Booth despises therapy, so I assumed he wouldn't complete the exercise. But he has been, just like me, for months now."

"That doesn't really surprise me." Cam told her. "How do you know?"

"He showed me one last night. Actually, I told him about mine, first…" she trailed off. She didn't really want to tell Cam _why _she had told him about them- to stop him from kissing her.

"Are you guys going to read each other's?" Cam asked.

"I don't know… I guess I'll just wait and see if Booth asks. I'm sure he will."

"Maybe. Do you want to read his?"

Brennan didn't answer right away. She did, yes. But part of her knew that was a very, very bad idea. She didn't want to confirm what she already suspected- that Booth believed he was in love with her.

"Perhaps. I can't really decide. Of course I'm curious, but it might feel…invasive."

"Invasive? How would it be invasive if he gave you permission?" When Brennan said nothing, Cam said, "Would _he_ feel as though he were invading your privacy if he read yours?"

"I wouldn't venture to say how he would feel." was her reply. Would he? She wasn't sure.

"Why are you here, Dr. Brennan?" Cam asked.

"I'm…writing, Dr. Saroyan." It sounded like an excuse, even to her ears. Probably because it was.

"Well, I hope it's coming along well." Cam stood up. "This tea is excellent, thank you."

She walked away. Coming to the top of the stairs, she turned, looking at Brennan. "Have a little faith in Booth, ok?"

----

**I'm finding it hard to continue, I just can't decide where to go next! This chapter was iffy, so feedback (positive AND negative) is highly appreciated. Please let me know what you thought. I wasn't sure about it, but you're all kind and I figured I'd post it and could always come back to edit it if necessary. Thanks!  
Hanna**


	18. Revealed

**I'm really fond of this chapter. (: Also, there is a gold mine of AN at the end of the chapter.**

**----**

"So, is there anything that either of you would like to discuss?" Sweets asked, leaning toward the pair.

They both looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads, no. Sweets sighed. "You both seem like you have a lot on your mind."

When neither of them replied, he said, "Are you working on a case?"

"Nope." Booth said, leaning back, hands behind his head. "Just wrapped one up." He smiled at Dr. Brennan.

Sometimes their level of friendship floored Sweets. Brennan smiled back, and it was as though they were carrying on a whole conversation, completely silently.

"Neither of you have anything to discuss?" Sweets prodded, looking pointedly at Booth.

Booth glared at him. "Nope. So I guess we can go!" he said, standing up.

"I don't think so, Agent Booth. Why don't you take your seat?"

"Dude, you sound like a third grade teacher," Booth chortled. But he sat down, slinging his arm casually over the back of the couch, nudging Dr. Brennan, who gave him a courtesy laugh. Booth's eyes shone.

Sweets dismissed the jab. "From what I understand, both of you followed my instructions, for once. You've both written positive notes about the other?" he ventured.

The mood in the office changed palpably. Booth immediately took his arm off of Dr. Brennan's shoulder and glared at Sweets. Brennan turned to Booth, giving him a look of pure disdain.

"You told Sweets?" she demanded.

"Hey, Bones… it's okay. He's supposed to be our therapist… it was his idea…" Booth was floundering uncomfortably. "He should know, right?"

"I can't believe _you_, of all people, would be the one to say that to _me_." she said, just as disbelieving as she was angry.

"Me? What… what does that mean?" he asked, although Sweets had a feeling he probably knew and was stalling.

"Booth, you hate therapy. You hate almost everything Dr. Sweets suggests, and you never, _ever_, volunteer information."

"That's true… I don't know. I just needed to talk to someone."

"And you couldn't talk to me?"

"I just… it takes awhile for you to… wrap your head around things. I was giving you the space you needed!"

"Did you ask me if I needed space, or did you assume?"

"Was I wrong? You didn't want to talk to me about that stuff. In fact, the morning after that whole thing played out, you went to work! At seven in the morning! But you're telling me you didn't need space?"

Sweets scribbled furiously.

"I wanted to write!"

"You know what would be really cool? If they made some kind of portable computer, so that you could work from wherever you wanted!" He paused. Then, as though it had just occurred to him, said, "Wait a minute!"

"Booth, you're using sarcasm to deflect from the real issue here!"

"Which is?""You told _Sweets_ about my notes!"

"_Our_ notes, Bones. We both did them, and I told him that." he lowered his voice. "Are you mad at me?"

Dr. Brennan took a deep breath. "No."

Booth grinned. "Good." he turned to Sweets. "What now, doc? You probably have some psychobabble to spit out at us, then we can go, right? So let's go!"

Sweets took a breath. Where to begin?

"Dr. Brennan, were you surprised to learn that Booth completed the exercise?"

"Very surprised, yes. He doesn't tend to do what you tell him to." Sweets watched the two exchange sly smiles.

"Agent Booth, same question."

"Was I surprised? Yeah, I guess so. Maybe more surprised that she actually told me about them." he answered seriously.

"Why did you tell him about your notes, Dr. Brennan?"

To Sweets' surprise, Booth immediately looked away from her, and Brennan bit her lip. "I-"

Booth cut her off. "We were pretty drunk."

"Booth!" Brennan admonished him. They had another silent conversation, Booth raising his eyebrows, trying to figure out what he did wrong, and her telling him to stop talking.

Booth looked from Brennan to Sweets a few times before saying, "Can we go?"

"Um, just a few more-" Sweets said, looking down at his yellow legal pad. He did not want this session to come to an end so quickly.

"Alrighty, thanks for all of your help, it's invaluable." Booth said sarcastically, taking Sweets' hand in his own and shaking it valiantly. "Good day to you, sir."

"I really think we were close to something-" Sweets tried desperately, but Booth was already leading Dr. Brennan out the door, his hand on the small of her back.

"Goodbye, Dr. Sweets. Thank you so much!" she called over her shoulder.

Rather than reply, Sweets just sighed, then walked over to the wall and softly banged his head against it, closing his eyes in frustration at the pair of them.

----

**Poor Sweets! :D  
So, in response to a few of your comments:  
First of all, to those who thought it was uncharacteristic for Brennan to confide in Cam and Booth to confide in Sweets: I completely agree. But my justification is that they were both very thrown off and confused to discover that the other had written notes about them, and neither of them really knew what to do with themselves. I think both needed to talk it out with someone, and they chose unlikely people. Booth, of course, always talks to Bones, but he couldn't. He felt desperate and ended up calling Sweets. He probably regrets that now! Brennan, on the other hand, confides in Angela very frequently, and could have gone to her, but perhaps didn't want to hear what she already knew Ange was going to say. I think Brennan's decision to talk to Cam was impulsive, but also highly plausible- after all, Cam has dated Booth, and I think Brennan needed a fresh perspective on the situation, one she certainly wouldn't get from Angela.  
Speaking of Angela, that brings me to my second point: the general concensus among reviewers is that a)they need to read each other's letters and b)Angela needs to be involved! I agree, and the odd thing is that last night when I decided to get through my rut and keep writing, I stared at my word document for probably twenty minutes, then decided that I needed to have another chapter from Angela's point of view. And that was before I'd read all of your lovely reviews! I have to say, it's probably one of my favorite chapters so far. It's got lots of fun squint interaction, and it made me laugh out loud while writing it. So that will be up soon, because I really can't wait for your feedback on that!  
As for them reading each other's letters... I won't promise anything. I imagine they'll get there eventually, but it hasn't been written (or thought out) yet. Thanks for your awesome ideas and reviews! It's encouraging and fun to read them.  
Always,  
Hanna**


	19. Exchange

**This chapter was so much fun to write. Please, enjoy.**

----

Something was different between Booth and Bren again, and Angela knew it. She couldn't help but be amused by the ease with which they moved through stages of their relationship- anger, awkwardness, reconciliation, camaraderie- all surrounded by the comfort of familiarity.

At the moment, it seemed they were pleased with themselves about something- as though they had rallied together, commonly united against something. Angela was only guessing, but she assumed it had to do with Sweets, whom they had seen that afternoon.

At the moment, she, Hodgins, Cam, Nigel Murray, and Booth and Brennan themselves were gathered in their booth at the diner, celebrating the successful wrap-up of their latest case. The atmosphere was jovial and warm, which no doubt had as much to do with solving the case as it did with Booth and Brennan being on normal speaking terms once again.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nigel Murray," Cam was saying, "but I just cannot accept that. An immortal jellyfish?"

"It sounds like a band…and not a very talented one." Hodgins laughed.

"No, it's true. I just read an article about it. It's called the Turritopsis Nutricula, and it reverts back to its juvenile form once it reaches sexual maturity." Nigel insisted. "Look it up!"

Booth joined the conversation. "I'll make sure to do that. Do you happen to have a copy of one of the Harry Potter books laying around?"

This elicited laughs from the whole table, although it was clear to Angela that Brennan didn't really understand. She joined in nevertheless, chuckling merrily and stirring her drink.

"Here's one for you." Hodgins contributed. "It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 years old around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written, and in Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear." he paused for effect. "Coincidence, mi compadres? I think not."

"The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood up to 30 feet," Brennan said with a smile.

"Nerds, all of you." said Booth, shaking his head.

"Interestingly, the term 'nerd' was coined by Dr. Seuss in his book 'If I Ran the Zoo.'" Nigel said quickly.

"You guys." Angela said seriously. "I can't believe we're swapping random facts instead of celebrating! Come on, stop being your squinty selves for ten seconds and have some fun! Maybe we should have another karaoke night." she stopped talking, suddenly remembering how the last one had turned out. Her eyes quickly sought Booth's, then Brennan's, but neither of them looked angry.

There was a disconcerting quiet for a moment, then Mr. Nigel Murray jumped in, saying, "Karaoke actually means 'empty orchestra' in Japanese, did you know that?"

The group laughed. Apparently none of them had known that.

Angela rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get another drink." she announced as she stood up from the table and made her way to the bar.

Leaning against it, she watched her friends laugh and talk. She smiled. Even though they were exchanging dorky knowledge as only they could do, they were having fun, and that was enough.

Looking at her best friend, she watched in fascination as Brennan furtively slipped a napkin across the table to Booth, who put his hand on it without looking at it or Brennan, grinning widely. What is going on? As Angela continued to watch, Booth snuck a glance at the napkin, his eyes scanning it quickly- why? She wasn't sure, but Booth was now positively beaming.

She made her way back to the table, still looking from Booth to Brennan. The latter was determinedly looking away from Booth, but her lips were pressed into a small smile and her eyes gleamed.

Angela made a mental note to grill her best friend about it later, but for the time being she joined the conversation merrily, drinking to their success.

----

**Fun fact: I'm a little bit in love with Mr. Nigel Murray. I hope he becomes a main character on the show; I think he adds a perfect, quirky element that fits in really nicely with our favorite characters. Plus, he and Cam have an interesting dynamic about them.  
I had fun writing this, and I know you'll have fun reviewing it! ;) But really, I appreciate your input so much, and I've taken a lot of ideas posted in reviews into serious consideration. So you never know! :D  
Thanks!  
Hanna**


	20. Preparation

Booth straightened his tie again, checking his reflection for what was probably the tenth time. He sighed. No matter how seamless his appearance was, the weight of what he was about to do scared him.

Funny, he'd seen things no one should ever be forced to see, done things no human was meant to do, been through situations he wouldn't wish upon his worst enemy, but he could chalk _this_ up as one of the most difficult tasks in his life. _Can you do this, Seeley? _He had to find out.

He could be brave.

He was ready. Taking a deep breath, he put on his jacket, checked his appearance one last time, and then walked out the door, hardly daring to believe what was about to happen.

----

Brennan studied her reflection intently. When Booth had asked her, she had balked, immediately retreating into herself. As only Booth could do, however, he had drawn her out and convinced her that it wouldn't be a colossal mistake. He had assured her it would be casual, nothing fancy or overdone, and she had finally agreed.

As the date loomed closer, she surprised herself by becoming more steadfast in her answer, not less. She had expected to regret her decision, to back out before it was too late. Booth, she suspected, had expected the same; he was nervous. She had assured him that she was absolutely sure, and he insisted that he believed her. She hoped that were true, but she had an uncomfortable suspicion that he was worried she would change her mind. But one had to take risks, right? That's what she had learned from him, and this certainly was a risk.

She slipped into the perfect shoes, the ones Angela insisted matched with the perfect dress. The perfect dress, one Booth had not seen, one she was so excited for him to see. This one was different from the rest, because she had bought it with the specific purpose of wearing it with him, _for _him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She crossed the room quickly and opened the door, beaming.

----

**You guys are ridiculously cool. Thanks for sticking with me. Your reviews are priceless!!**


	21. Reciprocity

It was his turn.

He knew this, but he couldn't decide which one to choose. There were funny, inconsequential ones, and there were deeper, more meaningful ones that he wasn't sure he wanted her to see. He read and reread them, trying to put himself in her place and figure out how she would react to each of them.

In the end, he chose one that made him laugh.

----

She found it in front of her keyboard, right in the middle of the empty space, daring to clutter her otherwise immaculate desktop.

She had picked it up and studied it with her brow furrowed, quickly reading the hasty scrawl.

_Bones is neat and organized, sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. But it usually makes life easier._

Well, this could be referring to anything. But it was true, she supposed. And his small recognition that it was, in fact, a good thing that she liked things orderly gave the otherwise silly note a redeeming quality. He was admitting that sometimes, his methods weren't always the best.

Cam, Hodgins, and Nigel Murray chose that moment to rush into her office, all speaking over the top of each other to tell her about a discovery they had just made pertaining to their latest victim. Brennan quickly stowed the post-it note in her desk drawer and hurried after them.

----

_Booth is inordinately good at getting information out of people, which is irritating and useful at the same time._

He laughed, looking affectionately at her familiar handwriting. Studying the date, he tried to recall what exactly had caused her to write this.

They had solved a tough case that day. The suspect had been in custody for over two days, but he wasn't talking, and they were both at the end of their patience. Bones and the squints couldn't quite fit the last piece of the puzzle in place to incriminate him beyond a shadow of a doubt with evidence, and Booth couldn't get him to talk. Knowing they couldn't hold him much longer, they had both become desperate to reach their goal and their irritation had seeped into the conversations they had with each other.

After one of the lengthiest and most difficult interrogations of his career, Booth had finally cracked him. With an ironclad, incriminating testimony secured, he had taken Bones out to dinner to celebrate. She was still distant, and it bothered him. He had assumed her snappiness and short temper were results of the frustrating case, but they had not subsided. After a long, heated discussion, he had finally drawn the real reason for the bad mood out of her, and to his surprise the revelation had made them both feel better. He worried about how much she kept things to herself, knowing it was easier to talk to someone; he was glad that she had trusted him.  
He supposed he was good at getting her to tell him things, but he didn't know that she had noticed it. He hoped it didn't bother her too much- after all, partners were supposed to tell each other things, he had told her that so many times. It meant more to him than anything that she trusted him. Realizing he'd never thought about it like that before, he reached for a piece of paper from his printer, dated the top and then wrote it down, stowing it with the rest of his collection.

----

_Bones is awesome with Parker._

She was flattered by this one. Thanks to Booth's aversion to being thorough and detailed, she could only guess at when his notes had been written. There were certain ones she was sure of, like those written on the backs of receipts. This one, however, was on an envelope to an energy bill, probably hastily scribbled on it without much thought.

She loved spending time with Parker. It was easy and enjoyable, and Parker seemed to like her. She thought of the day they went to the planetarium. Because she was a scientist, Parker was of the opinion that Brennan knew everything about every subject. Clearly that was impossible, and she had tried to explain to Parker that while she was an expert in _her_ field, she did not have extensive knowledge of astronomy. He had shaken off her explanation easily, saying, "My dad says you're the smartest person he knows, Dr. Bones. You know everything!" The awe in his voice was flattering, and she had smiled indulgently and tried to answer his questions to the best of her abilities.

He reminded her so much of his father. He had the exact same smile; it really was remarkable. Like the elder Booth, Parker had also learned how to use the charming smile to his advantage, and it had certainly worked on her. He had pulled her around by the hand, showing her the exhibits and rapidly firing questions at her as only a child could do.

It had been a very rewarding afternoon, and she was disappointed with how quickly the day had ended. Perhaps it was that evening that Booth had written this; she didn't know.

----

**I hope this satisfied not only those looking for more length, but those yearning for a backstory to the last chapter. To be continued... ;)  
Once again, your reviews are astoundingly flattering and wonderful, you have no idea! (Well, maybe you do...) Anyways, it is so amazing to read your guys' thoughts. I can't tell you how much it helps. I love getting your ideas on what should come next, and I love hearing what you liked (or didn't) about the chapter. Thank you SO much!!  
Hanna**


	22. Do Tell

**Sorry it's been awhile. I got busy with life, but I'm back to give you this. (:**

----

"Wait, so… let me get this straight. You took my advice-"

"Sweets' advice, Ange," Brennan interrupted.

Angela dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "Whatever. You and Booth have been surreptitiously writing notes about each other for months, completely unaware that the other person was doing the exact same thing?"

"Well…yes."

"Wow." she sat back in her chair. "Okay… we'll ignore the fact that you are just _now_ telling me about this, because I need details. Have you read his?"

"A few of them." Brennan admitted with a smile. "And I have permitted him to read a few of mine."

"Wow."

"I don't understand why you keep saying that," Brennan told her.

Angela just stared at her. "Of course you don't." she said, shaking her head. "This is huge, sweetie. So, what do his notes say?"

This is what she had been afraid of. "I don't know, Ange, they're kind of personal."

"Oh, come _on. _You can't tell me this much and then not follow through."

"Angela-"

"Bren. I'm your _best friend_." She emphasized the last two words carefully.

"It… it varies. There was one about how he appreciated my organizational skills, and another about how competent I was at my job, and…"

"That's what his notes are about? Come on, give me a good one." Angela interrupted.

"I don't understand," Brennan said slowly.

"Hasn't he written any that have nothing to do with work?"

"Well, there was one about how well I interacted with Parker," Brennan replied dismissively. "But, of course, the point of the notes was to be able to continually appreciate each other as work partners, so-"

"Seriously? You don't actually believe that, do you?" Angela looked incredulous.

"What? Of course I do, that's why Sweets-"

"Sweets sees what we all see…" Angela trailed off. "Never mind. What was your favorite one so far?"

"That he's written about me? Well… there was a very nice one he wrote about my feet." She said this almost unconsciously, for she immediately blushed and tried to change the subject as Angela's eyes widened in surprise.

"Your _feet_? Bren!"

"I meant… no. It was just…" Brennan flustered.

Angela just chuckled, watching her embarrassed friend try to explain herself. After a moment of incoherent sputtering, she took pity on her for the moment and said, "Forget it. So, I assume the napkin you slipped him in the diner was one as well?"

Brennan flushed a deeper red and looked down at her hands.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me," Angela said, her tone of voice clearly saying otherwise. She waited, but Bren didn't explain herself. "Have you written any that aren't related to work?"

"Yes, a few," Brennan told her.

"Have you given him any of them?"

"No."

"Well, you should. Like, as soon as possible."

"Why would I do that?" She looked confused.

"Why _wouldn't_ you?"

Brennan had no answer to this.

"Just…one, Bren. Just give him one that has nothing to do with his skills…on the job." Her grin clearly indicated that her friend should feel free to let him know of his skills _outside_ the job.

"I'll think about it," Brennan promised, blithely missing the innuendo.

_----_

**A few things I need to address:  
First, someone asked me awhile ago if the facts from chapter 19 were true. As far as I know, they are all true.  
Second, a few people are once again expressing frustration and/or confusion at the style and the way I'm jumping around. I'm sorry! But I promise (I PROMISE) you will understand it all in time! I can't give away all my secrets at once, after all! ;) That wouldn't be any fun, now would it?  
****To those faithful reviewers (and there are so many of you!), thank you SO much. I can't say this enough. You ROCK! =D**  
**-Hanna**


	23. Unintended

Booth had been chipping away at the mountain of paperwork on his desk, completely immersed in his work, for the last two hours when Brennan knocked on his door.

Looking up, he smiled, glad for the distraction…and what a terrific, good-looking distraction she was…

He mentally shook himself. "Hey, Bones. What's up?" he asked her lightly.

"I…just wanted to give you this. In person." In her hand she held a familiar yellow-lined paper, folded neatly.

"Oh," Booth was surprised. He stood up, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "Why?"

"Angela has been trying to persuade me to let you read a note of a more personal nature," she explained. "I don't know why. It seems important to her, although I did my best to explain to her the purpose of these notes, which by nature is not personal, but professional, but-"

"Bones," he interrupted her, holding a finger to her lips.

She did a double take, stepping back unconsciously.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Can I- can I see it?"

She studied him for a moment and then silently handed it to him. Looking at her, he unfolded it slowly, his heart beating faster.

The last few weeks had been very odd. The more notes they exchanged, the more little things Booth noticed about her, and the more his thoughts strayed to her when his mind was idle.

He looked down at the paper. He read it quickly, then swallowed and read it again, slowly, buying himself time.

"I don't know how this is at all helpful, but when I asked Sweets if it was a good idea, he seemed to concur with Angela, so I figured I would trust them-"

She babbled occasionally, when she felt uncomfortable or unsure of herself. He looked up at her finally, smiling. She was tense and still talking about their "working relationship."

Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward, placing his lips on hers hesitantly. She stiffened, clearly she hadn't been expecting this. Then, to his surprise, she relaxed and her lips remained firmly pressed against his. The kiss lasted no more than a few seconds, and then she pulled away.

He looked at her. His body and his brain fought an intense battle in the moment that followed, as they stood there, staring at each other. His body screamed at him, _Grab her! Kiss her like you mean it and never let go!_ while his brain told him to apologize and claim insanity while he still could.

In the end, he did neither, because Brennan shook her head as though banishing an irritating insect and then walked out of his office without looking back.

His instinct told him to run after her. He should, and he knew it. He should apologize, promise that it meant nothing and move on. He didn't; he couldn't. Sinking into the nearest chair, Booth sat, completely expressionless, not moving.

----

**I'm sorry it's been awhile. I hope the content made up for the time lapse.  
On a happier note, THEY'RE BACK!!! Who's excited?!?! I already heart the new season insanely and can't wait for more!! :D  
Reviews make me almost as happy as brand new fixes of my favorite FBI agent! ;)**


	24. Buddies

Jack Hodgins studied his computer screen intently. For some reason, the numbers just weren't adding up, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't figure out _why_. He leaned closer, as though if he stared long enough, they would come to life and explain to him exactly what they meant.

"Hey, Hodgins…buddy." A voice behind him startled him.

Turning around, he faced Booth. "Uh.. buddy?"

"Sorry. I just… I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay…shoot." Hodgins said, turning his back to the computer and leaning on the desk.

"Um… has Bones mentioned me at all lately?" Booth asked nervously.

Hodgins couldn't stifle a chuckle. "Has Bones asked about you? Do I look like Angela to you?"

"No, I just thought, maybe… if you and Angela had discussed…" he trailed off, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Never mind. Forget it."

"What's going on between you and Dr. B, anyway?" Hodgins couldn't help his curiosity.

"What? Nothing. Why would you think anything… we're fine. Completely normal." Booth answered quickly, backing away from him. "Forget it, Hodgins. Seriously. This never happened."

As he turned around to leave the platform, he ran into Angela.

"Woah, careful, there." Angela said, picking up the contents of the file she had dropped on the floor.

"I- uh, sorry, Angela. I wasn't doing anyth- just forget it! Nothing is going on!" Booth left as quickly as he had come.

"No, it's cool, I'll just pick this stuff up," Angela called after him. "_What_ is with him?" she  
asked Hodgins as he bent over to help her.

"I have no idea, but there's definitely something," Hodgins said suspiciously.


	25. Inevitibilities

**I _know _the last chapter was brief, so hopefully the promptness of this will make up for it?**

**(I reeeeaaaaallly want to make a punny joke about Booth's underwear or something because of that last line, but I'll refrain. :D hehehe )**

----

Temperance Brennan sat at the usual booth in the diner, sipping coffee. She was used to having Booth sitting across from her, but this evening she was alone. She actually hadn't seen Booth since he had kissed her, and she was glad. She knew she'd have to tell him it was a mistake, and she knew he wouldn't react well. Booth was a man who relied more on his feelings and his gut than his brain, she had known this since the beginning. In fact, she had wondered for a long time if he would reveal that he had feelings for her, and now he had. Obviously, they couldn't work together and maintain a romantic relationship, and it would fall to her to end any wild ideas running through her partner's head.

She expected resistance, of course. If she knew Booth, he'd be testifying his love for her- that's just who he was. She wondered how much of a strain it would put on their partnership. She knew- she hoped- that they could overcome anything together, but this was not an invisible enemy or an insane serial killer they were up against. These were Booth's feelings, and she cared about him, and didn't want to hurt him, no matter what.

Honestly, she was flattered. Booth was certainly an ideal romantic partner, she knew this. His physical traits were very attractive and genetically desirable, and his protective nature and sweet personality were ideal. Her stomach did a small backflip as she considered him. _Damned uncontrollable physical responses._

The problem, of course, was the job. They were too perfect together- on the job- to let something like this get in the way. Yes, she'd just have to be firm and tell him it couldn't happen. It just couldn't.

She opened her cell phone and quickly dialed the familiar number. No use postponing the inevitable.

----

"Hello?" Booth tried to hide the surprise in his voice, but didn't quite manage. He hadn't talked to Bones since he had kissed her, and neither of them had initiated conversation- until now.

"Hi Booth. Are you busy?" she asked, her tone revealing nothing.

"I, uh… nope." he said quickly, picking up his remote and flipping the game off.

"Would you like to meet me? I'm at the diner." she told him.

"Of course. I'll be there in twenty." he said.

_Well, here it is._ He knew this conversation was going to happen eventually, and the time had come.

----

**Your reviews sustain me. I tip my hat to you who are so faithful in reading this and giving me your opinion, no matter what. Thank you so much. (:**


	26. Out Of My Hands

He sat down across from her, shooting her an easy smile as he did so. She smiled back. Her hands were folded in front of her, and she already felt discomfort at what she had to say.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, Bones. How's it going?" he replied as he flagged the waitress.

"Fine, nothing to complain about. How are you?" was her response. Why did she sound so formal? It had only been a few days since she'd seen Booth, but the situation was awkward.

The waitress came over to take Booth's order (pie, what a surprise), and then left the two of them alone again.

"So… anything exciting going on at work?" he asked.

"Booth, I work with people that have been dead for years. The excitement happens on your end."

He looked pleased. "Well, that's true." He said with a grin.

She shook her head.

As they talked, the tension diffused. Booth's pie arrived, and he dug in with enthusiasm.

"So, I think it would be wise for us to discuss what happened in your office last week." Brennan said, ignoring the pit in her stomach.

Booth looked up quickly. "You're right." he said, his smile disappearing.

Brennan took a deep breath. She knew this was the right thing to do; it was completely rational and thought out. Why, then, did it feel so _wrong?_

"I'm sorry." Booth said before she could begin.

"You're sorry?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, I am. I'm really sorry. I don't know why I kissed you. It was a mistake." he rushed on. "It won't happen again."

Brennan looked down at her hands, completely disarmed. She had not expected this.

He was still looking at her. "I apologize. I know I shouldn't let my emotions run away with me… I'm sorry, Bones."

Now he was silent; he waited for her to speak.

"I…" she didn't know what to say. She'd been gearing up for an argument, and there wasn't one to be had. "Good, then. Okay."

"Okay?" He seemed concerned.

"Yes, we're fine. I understand. The personal nature of my note caught you off guard, you reacted physiologically… it's over. Let's move on."

He nodded his head in agreement, shoving pie into his mouth. "This is delicious, you should have some." he told her.

Standing up, she said, "I'm sorry, I have to go. It's late, and I need to work early tomorrow… I'll see you later?"

"Sure." he said, his eyes revealing disappointment at her early departure.

She smiled at him. "Besides, Booth, you know I don't like pie." With that, she turned and left.

"You would if you'd just give it a chance!" He called after her, trying to keep his eyes in an innocent place.


	27. Easy Tonight

**I love this chapter. More A/N at the bottom! :D**

----

Brennan got into her car quickly and slammed the door. Tears streamed down her face, and she swiped at them angrily with her sleeve. Why was she upset? There was absolutely no reason for her to be crying at this moment in time, yet she found that the harder she tried to stop, the more she sobbed.

She sat with her head on the wheel for at least twenty minutes. As her tears subsided, she looked into the diner. Booth was still sitting there, exactly where she'd left him, staring out the window. She was glad he couldn't see her- how could she possibly explain herself?

There was nothing she despised more than when her heart disagreed with her brain. The two weren't at odds very often, but when they were, she felt like a helpless child. She wanted to go to Booth, to fold herself into his arms and let him comfort her. She could imagine him stroking her hair, whispering reassurances, protecting her from… but that was it. She couldn't go to Booth, because he seemed to be the cause of her discontent. She looked at him again, her stomach churning.

Why had he said it was a mistake? She hadn't been expecting him to say that- Booth was not the rational one. He was the feelings guy, and as such, she had been expecting a declaration of love. Perhaps she was incorrectly assuming things about his feelings for her. Why had she been so sure he felt that way about her? She wondered what Dr. Sweets would say about the situation. She wished she could ask him, but… he was Sweets. Booth would probably be mad if she asked him, although she didn't know why. Despite her insistance that psychology was a soft science (and it was, really), she found herself wishing she could understand people like Booth did. Mostly she wanted to understand Booth- to know why he felt the way he did about things. It wasn't often that she wished she was better at something, and it bothered her.

She couldn't bring herself to do anything- not to turn the keys and drive herself home, nor to open the door and walk back inside to Booth. So she sat.

----

He told her once that not everything changes. But of course, she was right. Everything changes. Spending five years with someone- getting to know them, protecting them, relying on them, trusting them- changed a person. He knew he was a different man because of her.

Why was he content to let things stay the way they were? He had known what she was going to say to him tonight, and he'd given her the easy out. It was easiest for both of them, really. Yet he couldn't deny the overwhelming disappointment he felt in letting it go that easily. He should have told her. He couldn't lie to himself anymore, how long could he keep lying to her? He knew it was a lie- after all, lying by omission was definitely still dishonest. By not telling her his feelings, he was not trusting her. And he did trust her, but... what was the but? She was an adult, she should be allowed to make her own decisions about her life. But she had already, hadn't she? She'd denied feelings for him so many times- that _was_ her decision. But maybe if she knew exactly how he felt...

He felt so trapped- if he did something that toppled the perfect balance of their friendship, he'd never forgive himself. On the other hand, he couldn't live his whole life with her but at the same time without her. It was frustrating.

He had been warned against telling her- both by Cam and Sweets. He trusted Cam's judgement a lot, and the kid... well, he was a kid, but he sometimes knew what he was talking about.

He sighed. Obviously, he was going to keep chasing his own tail, having dozens of dead-end conversations with her, letting her slip away from him, waiting for her to do something. Why was it so easy to stay motionless?

----

**Thanks in advance for all of your amazing reviews. ;)****  
Like I said, I'm fond of this chapter. I really like writing this angsty "feeling" stuff, both from Brennan's and Booth's point of view, although Brennan's is much harder to nail down and keep in character. Tell me what you think? I'd love that!**

**mwah  
Hanna**


	28. Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

----

Sometimes, things fit together.

Sometimes, one thing triggers another, and then another, and then another.

Flipping through the pages of one of her novels, he saw her dedication page, the one for him.

He thought of his promises to her- that he'd never let her fall; that there was someone out there for her to spend the rest of her life with.

"_You've never loved somebody and didn't say it to them?"_

Images flashed through his head. Her as Roxy in Vegas, clinging to him. Her with those cat-eye glasses on. Her, hands bound above her head, gag in her mouth, petrified. Her telling him she wanted to have a baby- _his_ baby. Her onstage, microphone in hand, singing at the top of her lungs. Her offering him a bite of cereal. Her clutching him while ice skating, so she wouldn't fall. Her with baby Andy. Her dancing with him to Foreigner. Her face, full of concern, right after he woke up from his coma. Her kissing him in front of Caroline.

He stared at the already slightly rumpled yellow paper in his hand.

_Booth makes me a better person. I trust his judgment- he always does the right thing, because he has integrity and a strong sense of justice. I appreciate him as not only a colleague, but a good friend. I don't know what I would do without him._

Sometimes, you can't stop yourself from doing the right thing.

----

**I know, that was rude. But this is what you get. And I love it. If it isn't enough (and who are you kidding? it's not), read it twice. (: hehe...just kidding. well, not really.  
Anyways- here's the bottom line. Tomorrow is my birthday! (Nope, really not kidding about this one! September 29!! yay!) I'm not going to say how old I'll be... (TWENTY!!!) but you should give me an amazing birthday present- the gift of a review! And the more reviews there are, the quicker the newest installment comes! So really, it's up to you when I update.**

**I think I've done a pretty good job keeping the requests for reviews simple and sweet, so I'm pulling out everything I have this time. Puh-leeaase review! It is my birthday, after all.  
ALSO: everyone has been badgering me to share what was in that note that made him kiss her, and now I have! So that deserves an extra review! Not that you need another reason, right??! :D  
LOVE you guys.  
Hanna**


	29. No Air

**WOW! You guys continue to impress me. The reviews to the last chapter were amazing!! I honestly wish I had time to reply to every one of you, because your comments mean SO much. And some of the comments were soo overly flattering. I didn't deserve half of them, but they're all appreciated!  
I hope at least some of it was because the chapter was decent, and not just because it was my birthday. ;) But seriously, THANK YOU! geez. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations!**

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"…then I want you to analyze those fractures, tell me what kind of weapon could have caused such distinct marks." She told Wendell, pointing to the skull in front of her.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan." he answered, hurrying off.

She leaned over the table, studying the marks intently.

"Bones!" The shout came from the glass doors, then Booth burst onto the platform and sprinted straight toward her.

"Booth." she said calmly, peeling off her gloves. "What is it? Do we have a case?"

"No. We need to talk." he said, stopping on the other side of the table she was working at.

"About what? I'm very busy, Booth." she told him, exasperated. She had work that needed to be done, and she was getting tired of distractions.  
It had been a few weeks, and she had been studiously avoiding Booth since the night they had met at the diner and discussed the kiss. She didn't know why, exactly, but being around him was anything but easy. For some reason, she felt overwhelmingly guilty about the situation. She couldn't quite place it, but she felt as though she were deceiving him somehow.  
They had had one therapy session with Dr. Sweets, and neither had mentioned the kiss or the conversation it had lead to. Although she didn't know what- psychology not being her forte- something in the relationship had shifted. Sweets sensed it and had spent the whole hour relentlessly attempting to pry it out of them. It would have been comical if it hadn't been so sad.

"It's really, really important. Just… can we go to your office?" he asked, already starting toward it.

"Booth… seriously. I have so much work to do. What's this about?" She knew she was being stubborn and difficult, but she couldn't quite bring herself to care.

"I'd rather not say until we're in your office." he answered impatiently. "Come on, Bones!"

She sighed but said nothing.

"Fine. You know what? Fine! Right here is…I don't care." he walked over, facing her. "Listen. I lied to you."

She was taken aback. Taking a step away from him, she sputtered, "Wait…what?"

"I lied to you. I'm not sorry." he said.

"You lied to me but you aren't sorry about it? Why are you here if not to apologize?" she was confused.

"No, I mean… I told you I was sorry, but that was a lie. Kissing you wasn't a mistake. Not at all. And it certainly will happen again. I'm not sorry for it." he rushed.

"Booth?" she had no idea how to respond. Her heart was beating so fast, and she couldn't seem to think of anything to say.

"Bones," he took a breath, steadying himself. "I love you. And no, not in an 'atta-girl' kind of way. That's… ridiculous. I'm in love with you."

She shook her head.

"Stop. I can't pretend anymore that I'm not, because I am."

Still, Brennan said nothing.

"I believe there's someone for everyone. I'm the guy for you, Bones. I am. I know it. I know _you_. I know you better than anyone else ever will. And I know you're the someone for me. You are, Bones. You're my one person, and I love you." His eyes were blazing as he enunciated every word. "I. Love. You."

Why couldn't she find words? Her throat was tight and burned painfully as tears pricked her eyes.

He stared at her. For a long, tense moment, neither of them said anything. Then, as suddenly as it came, the fire left his eyes and they dropped to the floor as though he couldn't meet her gaze. He shoved his hands quickly into his pockets, casting her a disappointed and extremely hurt look as he turned around and walked away.

She was frozen. She could hardly breathe, and she stood rooted to the spot, watching him leave without looking back. She turned slowly to see Angela, Hodgins, and Cam staring at her incredulously. Saying nothing, she looked down as Angela said, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

Angela's unusually harsh tone seemed to startle her out of her stupor. Suddenly she found herself running across the platform after Booth. She could hear the cheers of her colleagues, but she was focused on one thing, and one thing only.

----

**Feedback means everything! Thanks. :D  
Hanna**


	30. Hanging by a Moment

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_All we are; we are. All we are; we are. And every day is the start of something beautiful; something real._

_-_

He couldn't believe himself. What was he thinking? He _did_ know Bones, and he should've known that a confrontation like that was no way to tell her his feelings. What had gotten into him? His words echoed through his head, sounding impulsive and reckless and ill-timed. Regret coursed through his body as he strode back to his car.

Halfway across the lawn, he heard her.

"Booth!" she yelled again.

He stopped, and for a moment so did his heart.

She caught up with him, breathing heavy, her hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

They stared at each other. Without warning, Bones grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him toward her. Meeting her lips with his, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her in the air. After a few moments, they broke apart for air. He set her feet gently back onto the ground and looked at her, arms still firmly secured around her waist.

She laughed. "I lied." she said, breathless.

"Oh?" was his response.

"I was thinking… pie sounds good right now."

He laughed, too, then grabbed her hand. Interlacing his fingers in hers, he lead her to his car without speaking.

----

**Review! Because TRUST me- you want to read the next chapter! :D That's all I will say about that. Except to say that it may be in your best interest to reread chapter 20. (;**


	31. To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts

----

Booth straightened his tie again, checking his reflection for what was probably the tenth time. He sighed. No matter how seamless his appearance was, the weight of what he was about to do scared him.

Funny, he'd seen things no one should ever be forced to see, done things no human was meant to do, been through situations he wouldn't wish upon his worst enemy, but he could chalk _this_ up as one of the most difficult tasks in his life. _Can you do this, Seeley? _He had to find out.

He could be brave.

He was ready. Taking a deep breath, he put on his jacket, checked his appearance one last time, and then walked out the door, hardly daring to believe what was about to happen.

----

Brennan studied her reflection intently. When Booth had asked her, she had balked, immediately retreating into herself. As only Booth could do, however, he had drawn her out and convinced her that it wouldn't be a colossal mistake. He had assured her it would be casual, nothing fancy or overdone, and she had finally agreed.

As the date loomed closer, she surprised herself by becoming more steadfast in her answer, not less. She had expected to regret her decision, to back out before it was too late. Booth, she suspected, had expected the same; he was nervous. She had assured him that she was absolutely sure, and he insisted that he believed her. She hoped that were true, but she had an uncomfortable suspicion that he was worried she would change her mind. But one had to take risks, right? That's what she had learned from him, and this certainly was a risk.

She slipped into the perfect shoes, the ones Angela insisted matched with the perfect dress. The perfect dress, one Booth had not seen, one she was so excited for him to see. This one was different from the rest, because she had bought it with the specific purpose of wearing it with him, _for_ him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She crossed the room quickly and opened the door, beaming.

Angela grinned back. "Look at you, honey. You are so beautiful."

"So are you," Brennan replied. She looked at Angela's black dress, which did indeed look amazing on her. "Are you ready for this?" she asked seriously, studying Brennan's face.

She took a steadying breath. "I think so," she said with a small smile.

"Well, let's go, then. And Booth asked me to give you this…just in case." Angela pressed something into Brennan's hand, turning on her heel and leaving the room ahead of her best friend.

----

He was ready. Taking a deep breath, he put on his jacket, checked his appearance one last time, and then walked out the door, hardly daring to believe what was about to happen.

Waiting for him outside on the porch were his brother, Hodgins, and Max. They greeted him heartily, all three wearing black tuxedos and bow ties that mirrored his own.

His brother stepped forward, embracing him. "Congratulations, Seeley."

"Thanks, Jared. I'm glad you're here." he told him, returning the hug.

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied quietly.

They took their places. Booth drunk in the tasteful quartet playing softly, the few proud people that had gathered to witness this long-coming event, and the blanket of twinkling stars above him.

He watched the back door as Cam and then Angela emerged, both wearing beautiful black silk dresses and wide smiles.

As the music changed, he felt his breath catch in his throat. This was it.

----

Brennan stood just inside the back door in Hodgins' kitchen, trying to steady her breathing. She could do this, she could. Waiting outside were her closest friends, her family, and the man she was giving her heart to. No, that was inaccurate. You couldn't give away your heart. But if you could, she knew that hers had belonged to Seeley Booth long before this day had arrived.

Hearing her cue, she took a deep breath, looked down at the napkin she was still clutching, and then stepped out the door confidently.

_Bones is my best friend, no matter what._


	32. Author's Note

**Hi everyone. :)**

So... first of all, thanks for your awesome responses to my last chapter. I really liked it, and I'm glad most of you did, too. Unfortunately, apparently I wasn't clear that it was, in fact, the final chapter of my story. Some of you said you were waiting for an update, and I don't have one! I've tried a few times to write an epilogue, but... I don't know, it just isn't working out.

A few people have said they'd like to see more letters, a few people have mentioned an epilogue... what would you like to see? I had never considered continuing the letters, and I never really thought I'd fill in the gaps between a few of the chapters, but some people have asked. I'd love your opinion. (:

If there's a huge response for more, I might (**might**) oblige. Let me know. And thanks for supporting me through this story. I appreciate everything.

Since you're sad this is over (I know, you're really choked up), I am shamelessly recommending you check out my other fics. None of them are this long, in fact, two of them are one shot song fics. I'm really fond of them, and even though they're old, I would LOVE feedback. :D Thanks!

**Hanna**


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